Paul Lindsay, a spokesman for the National Republican Congressional Committee, said Democrats were making too much of their gains.

“If election day were such a win for House Democrats, they wouldn't have to try so hard to convince everyone that it was,” Lindsay said in a statement, “[House Minority Leader] Nancy Pelosi's dream of returning as speaker was crushed, and we were happy to play a part in making that happen.”

The election produced a freshman class of Democrats that will add significant diversity to a caucus that was already trending away from its white male-dominated tradition. The new class of Democrats includes 16 women, five African Americans, 10 Latinos and five Asian American Pacific Islanders.

It also left Republicans with just one African American member after Florida Rep. Allen West’s defeat by Democrat Patrick Murphy. The new class of Republicans includes three women and 31 white men, including David Valadao of California, who is of Portuguese descent.

In North Carolina, one seat has not yet been awarded to either party. Rep. Mike McIntyre, a Democrat, is leading his Republican challenger, state Sen. David Rouzer, by just 655 votes. Rouzer has requested a recount, which won’t begin until Monday, the Fayetteville Observer reported.